As disclosed in copending application Ser. No. 724,474, filed Apr. 18, 1985, in the names of Ramachandran, Davidson, and Maloney (Ramachandran et al.), it is known that 6-alkoxy-5-trifluoromethyl-1-naphthoic acids are useful as pharmaceutical intermediates and that they can be prepared by the hydrolysis of the corresponding nitriles. It is also known that nitriles can generally be converted to acids via amide intermediates by acidic or basic hydrolysis. However, it has been found that the hydrolytic techniques conventionally employed in the hydrolysis of nitriles give unsatisfactory results when employed in the hydrolysis of 6-alkoxy-5-trifluoromethyl-1-cyanonaphthalenes. Hydrolysis of the nitrile group in such a compound under acidic conditions is accompanied by a competing hydrolysis of the trifluoromethyl group and by cleavage of the alkoxy group. Basic hydrolysis under normal conditions proceeds only to the formation and precipitation of an amide, and basic hydrolysis at higher temperatures is accompanied by attack of the trifluoromethyl group.